Homecoming
by TheFoilDoll
Summary: Post MM, reflective and ever so slightly morbid. LinkxMalon. Rated for safety. New chapter finally up! Simultaneous Nightmares...Poor Link and Malon. WTF! I actually updated! Don't get too excited... lol
1. Almost Home

"Beneath the stains of time the feelings disappear,  
You are someone else, I am still right here.  
What have I become? My sweetest friend,  
Everyone I know goes away in the end,  
You could have it all, my empire of dirt.  
I will let you down, I will make you hurt.  
If I could start again a million miles away,  
I would keep myself, I would find a way."

_Hurt – Nine Inch Nails_

**Chapter 1 – Almost Home**

_"Shh," she presses a thin, milky-white finger to my lips, straightening slightly and listening intently, "Did you hear something?"_

_I shake my head, smiling fondly at the sight of her long red hair, cascading, shimmering down her bare back._

_"Must have been my imagination," she sighs, turning to face me again and laying down, leaning on her elbow._

_I lie still and silent as she walks her fingers idly up and down my chest. She smiles when I pull her in closer and nuzzle her head in the nook between my shoulder and neck._

_"I wish you didn't have to vanish so often," she says quietly, twisting my hair between her fingers._

_I don't answer; there's nothing I can say. Instead I just squeeze her gently and kiss her forehead._

_We lie for quite some time, neither of us speaking or moving, watching the sky change from deep dark blue to a dusky shade of green as the sun slowly rises, it can't be more than half past four in the morning._

_Suddenly there is a knock on the door downstairs._

_"Someone's an early riser," she comments as she hops gracefully out of bed, walks over to the small wardrobe and pulls on a thin, pale yellow robe._

_I watch sleepily, taking in the way that the casual tie accentuates her delicate curves as she gathers her hair and pins it into place at the base of her neck._

_As she leaves the room and descends down the stairs, I pull myself into a sitting position and listen as she answers the door brightly._

_"Good morning, how can I he-"she is cut off and there are sounds of a struggle. I hear her scream carry up the stairs._

_Without thinking I grab my sword and jump down the steps._

_I see her writhe and fight against the two dark figures who have her pinned against the stable wall, but before I can reach the door a third person slams it shut, barricading me inside._

I wake with a start, drenched in sweat, lying at the back of a small, dusty cave. Sitting up, I run my hand down my face and attempt to will my eyes out of their relentless heaviness. The dim light from the cave mouth makes it difficult to see while I squint around for my belongings. As I begin the arduous task of sharpening my sword my mind drifts back to my dream.

Well, not really a dream, it's a memory. How it haunts me. At least once a week without fail I am awoken by it. Even though in a sense I did save Malon, when I replaced the Master Sword into the Temple of Time I reversed everything that had happened in those seven horrific, bewildering years.

She doesn't remember being kidnapped from under my very nose, being used as bait by Ganondorf's minions or beaten to a bloody pulp and used for Goddesses knows what else. She doesn't have to recall in her dreams the state that I discovered her in when I finally saved her. Shit, she doesn't even remember me. I'm nothing more to her now than the little 'fairy boy' who bought her favourite horse... oh about, eight (nine? ten?) years ago.

And then I set off on my next 'great adventure'. No real good came of it, surprise, surprise. So I saved another weird land from destruction, a bizarre Hyrule mimicking land where I was only reminded of my many mistakes by the people who seemed just like those I remembered but had forgotten me. Especially Romani and Cremia. My heart ached at the sight of them.

I was forced to relive those same three days over and over and over. Every time I fucked up I had to go back and start again. Hell, I'm not even sure how old I am any more, not after going back and forth in time so often. Physically, I think I'm about nineteen, maybe twenty. Mentally, now that's a whole different matter. When I think of the time I spent I Hyrule and Termina, including all the times I had to start again, it's unfathomable.

My mind continues to wander and I wonder if anyone remembers me at all. The Kokiri would, obviously as I spent me childhood with them, those years were never erased. Zelda? Perhaps. The other Sages? I'm not sure, it's possible. All of the countless people I saved, the whole of Hyrule. They haven't a clue who I am, and yet they owe me their lives. They owe me gratitude. They owe me awe.

I stop sharpening my sword and frown, disgusted at such a selfish and egotistical thought.

I have no place feeling sorry for my self, I did my duty and fulfilled my destiny. Even if it did leave me a twisted shell of person, full of bloodlust and hatred.

Forcefully I push such negative thoughts from my mind and concentrate on the task at hand. It's so tedious having to sharpen my sword so often, I never had that problem with the Master Sword, but beggars can't be choosers, and my Kokiri dagger had quickly gotten too small. I have to make do.

I gather my things together and stand just inside the mouth of the cave looking out over Lake Hylia as the sun slowly rises in the distance. An involuntary shudder runs down my spine as I glance at the location of the Water Temple.

I compulsively check that my Ocarina is safe and head out, towards the field.

I am almost home.


	2. Oh, That Smile

"I know the pieces fit 'cause I watched them tumble down,  
No fault, none to blame,  
That doesn't mean I don't desire to point the finger,  
Blame the other,  
Watch the temple topple over,"

_Schism – Tool_

**Chapter 2 – Oh, That Smile**

Emerging into Hyrule Field I see a completely different land than that which I remember. Everything is so... bright. Positive, even. The sun is shining, birds are singing, a warm gentle breeze blows through my hair. It's sickening.

I stroll lazily over the fresh green grass, watching the sky all the while, the sun has completely risen and my eyes are beginning to sting. I'm so used to being in dark, dank temples and caves.

My feet ache from all of the travelling I've been doing, so standing on a hilltop I take out my battered Ocarina and play Epona's song. As the final note rings through the air I hear her whinny in reply and the sound of hooves galloping towards me.

My faithful Epona, the only one who stuck by me through hell and high water. I don't know what I'd do without her.

She nuzzles her nose against my chest when she reaches me and I gently stroke her strong elegant neck, my fingers grazing a fading scar. The skin has healed completely now but no hair has grown back where she was injured. I walk around to her side, musing on the time she had acquired that wound. I thought I'd lost her that day, it didn't bear thinking about.

Climbing onto her back I urge her forward slowly. I'm not in a rush to get anywhere, it's not like I really have any place to be.

As we continue through the field I catch sight of Lon Lon Ranch and wonder if Malon remembers me at all, even if it is only as a child. No harm in finding out, I have nothing to lose anymore. I can't even pretend to resist and steer Epona towards the ranch.

The field is eerily quiet, I haven't seen a single monster since I arrived; Zelda must have gotten them in check pretty effectively, even before all the trouble with Ganondorf there was a few around.

I jump off of Epona's back when we reach the gate to the ranch and lead her inside by the reins.

Cucco's dart about my feet as I stand gazing, hypnotised, at Malon, as beautiful as she ever was, singing to herself as she brushed the coat of a huge ebony stallion. The horse whinnies in alarm, rearing slightly on its hind legs when it spots Epona and I standing not a dozen feet away.

"Oh," she flinches and turns around. She smiles at me, "Hello, can I help you?"

I couldn't tell you how long I stared, trying to take in every detail of her being as she watches me inquisitively, walking slowly towards me; the way the sunlight shines through her long hair, her skirt blown gently against her legs by the wind, her bright innocent eyes and the perfect porcelain skin of her chest just visible about the neck of her dress, slowly rising and falling with every breath she takes.

I don't want to say a word, she's so pure, so unaware as she stands before me and I would happily died here, in the one perfect moment before she knows any of the things that I could tell her.

"Do I know you from somewhere? You look so familiar..." my heart skips a beat as she stares intently into my eyes.

She frowns slightly and looks closer at Epona, who is straining against her reins to reach Malon.

"Epona?" she looks confusedly back at me. A brief moment passes before she remembers, "Fairy boy?"

Why do people have to talk so much?

"I know now! You're the one who bought my Epona," she strokes Epona's nose affectionately, "Where have you two been all these years?" she's still smiling.

Oh, that smile.

"I'm sorry," she says, sighing, "I can't for the life of me think of your name," she places a slender hand against her face and looks at me expectantly.

"Link," I reply, my voice hoarse from such little use.

"Link!" she repeats, tapping my shoulder lightly, "That's it. So, what have you been doing with yourself?"

She is so at ease it startles me, for all she knows the only contact we've had was when I bought a horse from her. I unconsciously glance at my hands, remembering how I'd beat them against that door until they were raw trying to reach her. By the time I'd fetched my hammer I was too late...

A wave of guilt sweeps over me.

My hands are still covered in scars, well, so is the rest of me, but they stand out from the rest as a constant reminder of my biggest failure.

I try to pull myself out of this self-loathing frame of mind.

"Travelling," I eventually reply, "...Working here and there, nothing special," I cough, "What about you?"

"Working at the ranch more than anything-"before she can say any more a man's voice comes from the barn behind me.

"MALON! Who are you talking to? Come in here and give me a hand,"

"That's Ingo," she tells me, grabbing my arm, "Could you do me a huge favour and pretend you need me to... I don't know attend to an injured horse out in the field or something? Anything, just please get me out of here for a couple of hours, don't ask me why, just... please?"

She looks up at me so pleadingly, how could I say no?

Jumping back onto Epona's back I pull her up in front of me. I try desperately to concentrate on controlling the horse and not think about how her waist feels under her clothes as I hold her tightly with my right hand.

Avoiding the barn I steer Epona around and towards the low wall surrounding the ranch. I hold Malon close as Epona clears the fence as we have done so many times before, taking in the scent of her hair as my head rests against her neck.


	3. Misplaced

"How could I ever love another, when I miss you everyday…  
How could I ever get over you, when I'd give my life for yours.  
I know we are,  
We are the lucky ones, dear."

_Lucky – Bif Naked_

**Chapter 3 - Misplaced**

"I'm sorry for dragging you out here,"

We're walking aimlessly across the field in the opposite direction of the ranch and the castle. The sun is still shining brightly, but it doesn't bother me so much anymore. Right now nothing does.

"What did you need from the ranch?" she turns and looks to me for an answer, I shake my head.

"Nothing," I pause, "I just wondered if you were still around,"

She smiles and blushes slightly, "Well it certainly is nice to see a friendly face so early in the day... I can't wait to get out of that place..."

I want more than anything to grab her by the arm and tell her to come away with me, we could go anywhere, do anything we wanted with no-one to tell us how to feel or what to be.

She would only think I was crazy, it hurt like nothing else that she didn't remember how much we had meant to each other. I would have laid down my life for her, I still would...I almost did.

After we've grow tired of walking we sit down in the shade of a huge leafy tree. There's so much foliage around now, this isn't the same land I suffered to save anymore.

She talks about unimportant things and I listen quietly, only speaking when I really feel that I should. I never liked talking when I didn't have to. I'm quite content to sit back and listen as she speaks to me.

Stretching, she lay back in the long grass, her skirt tauntingly hinting at the curves of her thighs, her hip bones ever so slightly visible through the light material.

Oh what I wouldn't give...

She sighs and stares up through the branches of the tree to the sky above. I look inquisitively at her but she doesn't say anything so I decide to speak up.

"Is something wrong?"

"Hmm..." she blinks and turns to face me, "Oh, no, no I'm fine. I'd better get back to work is all,"

I decide not to push the matter but there is obviously something on her mind, maybe she doesn't feel comfortable talking to me now that I'm a stranger to her.

When we stand up Epona nuzzles her head against Malons chest like she does with me, and snorts happily. Malon strokes her neck with those perfect little, long-fingered hands – it's eerily like watching my own actions impersonated.

Her fingers passes over the scar on Eponas neck and she steps back staring at it, horrified. "What happened to her?" She gasps, watching me with her mouth open slightly.

Well, you see Malon, honey, I'm actually the legendary Hero of Time and seven or eight years ago I fought, defeated and sealed away an evil ruler who threatened to destroy all of Hyrule. Princess Zelda, not wanting any of the previous horrors to be remembered sent me back in time where I returned to my stolen childhood, but my "adventures" had affected me so badly I became a recluse and decided to travel. Mercenary work was the only thing I was any good for and so I made my living lending my skills as a murderer to anyone willing to pay me. My faithful horse was badly injured by a member of a bandit gang I was "disposing of", but you'll be glad to hear, I enjoyed a certain level of delight as I slashed open the throat of the fucker who did it from ear to ear.

Oh and as you may not remember, you and I used to fuck until the cows came home...

Yeah. Right.

"Had a bit of a run-in with a bandit," See, I wasn't lying... sort of, "but I nursed her back to health,"

Malon scowls, "Well I hope you taught that guy a lesson," she glances at me; I smile and nod, thinking that it might be best to spare her the gory details.

She beams at me, "I'm glad to see my Epona is in such capable hands," she pets Eponas nose and we begin walking back towards the ranch.

There is a comfortable silence as we stroll casually across the grass, broken only by the sound of unseen birds singing.

"You know, Link," the sound of her speaking my name sends a shiver down my spine, "I feel as if I've known you my whole life. I know it's silly, I mean, we've only actually met twice in eight or nine years-"I cut her off by kissing her forehead affectionately. I don't even need to bend down, she's the perfect height, only a few inches shorter than me, but then not many people are shorter than me.

Her eyes widen as if she is remembering something but she shakes it off.

"I think I should tell you," she bites her lip, "I'm engaged,"

A thousand needles pierce my flesh.

She peers at me through furrowed brows.

"To who?" Why didn't I expect something like this?

"He lives at the market place right now, I can't wait for him to take me away from the ranch, we're going to move into a house in Kakariko village as soon as we're married. I-"I cut her off again.

"Do you love him?"

"I... well, it- it's really nothing to do with you," she stammers. That's a no.

I nod. Of course she doesn't love him, whoever he may be. Her heart belongs to me. Haven't I earned that much at least?

We reach the entrance to the ranch and she hands me Epona's reins, looking guiltily away from me.

I pass them back, my hand lingering on hers for a moment, "A scape-goat," I whisper, making her smile again.

"Where are you staying? I want to see you again," she glances up at me, a guilty smile still playing on her face.

I shrug; I haven't really thought about it, my mind has been much more agreeably engaged for the past couple of hours.

"Come back for Epona at about ten tonight. I've got somewhere where you can stay if you have nowhere to go. I'll be waiting." She smiles and turns away, leading Epona through the ranch gates.

Engaged! Fucking typical, the one thing in my life that actually ever meant anything to me, taken away.

No, she's not gone, just... misplaced.

I head towards the castle...and the marketplace.

Malon hadn't even given me the vaguest of descriptions of her fiancé (probably a wise decision on her part) so I decide to just have a look around, see what has changed and all.

The marketplace is busier than I've ever seen it before. People are rushing back and forth about their business without taking much notice of me, there are more stalls and a dingy looking little inn where the bazaar used to be.

I catch sight of the castle and consider sneaking in to see Zelda but decide against it. Above all I'm not even sure I want to see her, the one responsible for all of the things I saw, things a child should never see... besides she might not even remember me. I'm probably too big for that little opening I used to sneak into the courtyard through anyway, so 5'4" isn't what you would call tall for a man and I'm verging on being classed as skinny as opposed to toned – I haven't been eating well lately – but it was a squeeze when I was ten and I doubt I could manage to get through it without getting stuck.

After wandering aimlessly around and people-watching for a while I decide to go and sit the little bar to watch the people there, you always get the most interesting characters in places like that.


	4. Bar Brawls and Ambushes

"Come on, come on,  
You think you drive me crazy,  
Come on, come on,  
You and whose army?  
You and your cronies.  
Come on if you think you can take us on."

_You And Whose Army? - Radiohead_

**Chapter 4 – Bar Brawls and Ambushes**

I try my best not to cough as I enter the dank little smoke filled room, it's barely midday and already the place is teeming with drunken louts. My lungs seize up but I fight against my natural reflexes so as not to draw further attention to myself.

I avoid looking directly at an especially large group of greasy looking men but remain aware of them as I move towards the bar. Over the years I seem to have developed a kind of sixth sense when it comes to trouble and this lot are already making me nervous.

The unsavoury looking barman is an accurate reflection of his clientele as he glares and sneers when I order my drink. Sitting down at one of the few empty tables, as close to the door as I can manage - I don't particularly relish the idea of being surrounded by these apes – I subtly survey the men around me.

Most are sitting in either twos or threes and are keeping to themselves, but the large group in the corner are continuing to disturb me.

The ringleader – I discern him judging by the fact that he is both drunkest and loudest of the group – is telling the rest of them a story which is causing them to hoot and laugh, banging their fists on the table and begging for more, from what little I can make out over the commotion it concerns a lady – my eyes narrow and I continue to listen.

Several drinks later and he is so loud that I don't even need to strain to hear what he is talking about anymore.

"… and no matter what I say to the little bitch there's just no reasoning with her –"

"It's just not right –"

"You need to put her in her place, you do-"

"Shh, let me finish, so last night before I left her at her place I says to her 'It's not long now until you and I will be living together, wouldn't you like to stay the night and see that you like it before we move?' but she's having none of it, it's all 'we should wait until we're married' this and 'I don't think I'm ready just yet' that. Frigid little cow,"

He drains the rest of his tankard and orders the man nearest to him to fetch more drinks from the bar. As his friend staggers to the bar he turns to the rest and starts asking their opinions on his current situation.

"You should go round there now and rip that sweet little farm dress right off her and show her who's boss,"

I can barely hide the fact that I am grinding my teeth.

"You sound jealous to me," he laughs and glances round the bar catching my eye, "Like that shifty looking bloke over there glaring at me," he needlessly raises his voice further, 'Oi, you fancy my girl too, huh? A lot of folk do, only thing is that we're engaged to be married and that means that she's mine and I get to do whatever I like with her. In fact, I think I'll go round right now and see if I can't… loosen her up a little," he turns and winks to his fellows who whoop and cheer as he stands up and announces "Malon, honey, here I come,"

I feel nothing but burning hatred for this man.

I stand and block his way out of the door.

It seems to take him a moment to realise what I'm doing and he frowns down at me.

"Out of my way, shrimp,"

I continue to stare defiantly up at him as I weigh him up, sure he's almost a foot taller than me and considerably heavier, but chances are he's mostly comprised of fat and besides anything else he's completely tanked up. Still there's no point in taking any chances, especially not with Malon's safety at stake.

"Didn't you hear me? I said move," he growls, getting angry now.

A tense silence fills the room and all eyes are on us, the barman watching through narrowed eyes, waiting for the moment when he can throw us out. I don't really see the point in saying anything but before I can think any further he pushes me out of the way roughly and I stumble against the table I had been sitting at.

"Some of us have better things, or should I say women, to do," his friends laugh loudly again and he lets his words linger, enjoying the effect which he can no doubt read in my features. A sly smile creeps onto his lips.

Without really thinking about it I draw my freshly sharpened sword and throw him against the door, holding him in place with my free right hand, the blade of my sword resting against his throat.

"Take it outside!" the barman yells across the room.

I pay no attention.

"Don't have the balls to take me on without that thing do you, little man," he grins again.

I can smell the alcohol on his breath.

Glaring into his eyes, our faces barely an inch apart, I swing my sword around and drive through the wood of the door beside his head, so close that it grazes his ear.

His eyes are wide with fear.

"I could kill you with my bare hands," I hiss just loud enough for him to hear.

Before I have a chance to do anything else the barman grabs me from behind and throws me forcefully out of the door then yanks my sword free and tosses it out after me.

"Don't show your face in here again if you know what's good for you," he barks at me before slamming the bar door closed and leaving me sprawled in a heap on the hard stone ground outside.

Shoppers in the market stare as I pick myself up and re-sheath my sword. I avoid their eyes and begin walking back towards Hyrule field.

These people have no respect for me.

I consider heading back to LonLon Ranch and telling Malon about what I had heard, but why cause her the pain of learning that her husband-to-be is a womanising drunk who seems to want her only for sex and free labour.

No, it would be far kinder for him to vanish or drown. The moat is right there, it would be so easy to hold him under and make it look like an accident. Plenty people are witness to how drunk he is. He might just fall off the drawbridge and crack his head off the bottom.

Oh, so sad the people would say, and he was to be married in just a few weeks time. And so young. His poor fiancé, how she must pine for his company. What a good thing that that handsome stranger is by her side to comfort her, I wonder where he came from. He's so mysterious.

Ha.

It's not as if there is any real kind of law here anyway. Sure, the soldiers do their bit but they're not exactly detectives.

I am the only real justice in this land.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Waiting is such sweet sorrow.

I've been balanced on top of the chains of the town gate for almost an hour and my legs are starting to go numb.

People have been going back and forth fairly consistently and I'm beginning to worry that there will be too many witnesses around for what I have planned, I don't want to involve any innocent bystanders.

I hear him before I see him.

I don't know or care what his name is, I don't care about his family, they shouldn't miss him.

Whistling below me he seems care free, that is until I've checked that there are no other people close by and dropped down in front of him.

He jumps with the slow reflexes of every drunk I've ever seen.

"You again," he slurs.

"Me again," I nod. Quick as a flash I push him as hard as I can towards the edge of the draw bridge.


	5. Monster

"Another head aches, another heart breaks,  
I am so much older than I can take.  
And my affection, well it comes and goes  
I need direction to perfection.  
Help me out,  
Yeah, you know you've got to help me out."

_These Things That I've Done – The Killers  
_

**Chapter 5 - Monster**

He stumbles backwards but manages to catch himself before he tumbles into the water. I guess his weight advantage does count for something after all. He frowns at me, slightly confused but mostly angry.

"What are you doing, you pipsqueak?" he half yells, half slurs at me.

I don't really feel the need to answer his question and settle for a swift kick behind his kneecaps bringing him to the ground before he has a chance to react.

Before I have time to do anything else, however, he lands a brutal punch to my jaw just below my ear. Apparently I overestimated how drunk he is, or, more than likely, this is not his first fight whilst under the influence.

Stunned by this unexpected blow I stagger back just far enough for him to gain the advantage over me and he throws his weight on top of me.

Pinned down and with his nose almost touching mine I can smell his putrid alcoholic breath and wince unintentionally.

He's grinning down at me with bloodshot eyes and I absent-mindedly wonder if I can still use Din's fire. At least enough to flick into his eyes so that he would have to release me.

This thought is interrupted by another blow to the face. I feel the inside of my left cheek tear and blood pours into my mouth. The blows just keep coming and I just lie back, taking the punishment. I'm sure I deserve it. Besides, it's not like he can kill me.

After a few moments he seems satisfied, still grinning he laughs to himself.

"Still think that you can 'kill me with your bare hands', huh?"

I still remain silent and this seems to enrage him further.

"What's wrong blondie, you're not as lively as you were earlier. Guess you're not feeling so confident anymore, maybe a good beating was all you needed to calm you down. You can't go attacking people just for talking about their girls you know, even if they are the sweetest piece of ass around,"

He sees the flash of anger in my eyes and is encouraged by it.

"You see, the thing is, she's mine, and I can do what I like with her. At least that's the way it'll be in a few weeks time. Til death do us part,"

I won't allow him to get the better of me this way. He seems to give up for a moment and then tightening his grip on my wrists he starts banging my arms against the wood of the drawbridge.

"Come on,"

He sounds like a whining child.

"It's not fun fighting if you won't fight back, even a little weakling like you…" he pauses, "I might just get bored and go split little Malon in half like a piece of firewoo-"

He doesn't even finish his sentence before I spit blood in his eye.

He yelps and instinctively lifts a hand to wipe it away leaving my left hand free.

Using this split second before he realises that he's let go of me I manage to push him over and pin him to the ground.

"You sick little fuck,"

His slurring is less obvious; all this exercise seems to have sobered him considerably.

I wonder why nobody has seen us yet.

I enjoy watching him struggle to overpower me now that the advantage is back on my side. I may be small but I am by no means weak.

Small drops of blood are dripping from the tip of my nose onto his face.

I smile at his futile attempts to escape.

"Ok, I get it, you don't like me talking about her that way. Fuck. I don't really mean it you know, I was just trying to impress that lot. And then taunt you. Which was apparently a bad idea. You don't honestly think that I would treat a girl like Malon so badly?"

I am disturbed by this sudden change of personality. Could I be wrong about this man? What if I'm ruining Malon's chances of being happy, having a real life, having children.

The thought of her having a baby with this low life sickens me.

Have I really become such a monster that I would kill a possibly innocent man for my own personal satisfaction?

No. That's not a moral area I wish to stumble into. I should give him a chance to prove that he deserves to live. Not that he deserves Malon, nobody does but me. Perhaps I can win her over. She might remember me, and all that I suffered for her. It was always for her.

This pathetic man is still gazing up at me, obviously frightened by my swift and unpredicted attack.

I get up and watch him pull himself up onto his elbow. Wiping the rest of my blood from his face.

He watches me warily as he stands up and heads back into the marketplace, glancing over his shoulder as he goes. I hear him muttering something under his breath about me being a crazy son-of-a-bitch.

At least he isn't heading for the ranch any more, although he has more than likely gone to fetch the rest of his drunken friends.

I call Epona and ride to the ranch as quickly as I can.

I can't tell Malon what has happened. Although I'm sure her fiancé will spare me the trouble once he describes his mysterious attacker to her.

I may have just blown any chances of ever being close to her again. She won't want anything to do with me after this.

I should have killed him.

Malon is in the barn when I arrive at the ranch. I can hear her singing. She's always singing.

I knock lightly before I walk through the door, leaving Epona outside.

She looks nervous before she turns around fully and sees that it's only me.

"Oh, hello again," she smiles brightly for a brief, beautiful moment before she notices the blood all over my face. She gasps and rushes over to me. "Are you ok? What happened to you? Oh, you're still bleeding, stay here,"

She rushes out of the door and reappears within a few minutes with a basin of water and some cloths.

"Come over here," she says, motioning for me to sit down on a bale of hay. She fills a cup with water and hands it to me. "Drink this,"

I sit obediently and let her clean my face with the damp cloth, the cool water feels wonderful against my skin and the tension between us is so strong that I can barely restrain myself from reaching out and touching her neck, her cheeks, her hair, her shoulders, her waist, her legs, her ankles, I could happily spend the rest of my life exploring every last inch of her body.

She suddenly interrupts my daydreaming by asking again what happened to me.

I don't want to lie to her.

"Oh, it's nothing, I just got into a fight with a drunk in the market," I hope that's enough to satisfy her curiosity.

"Drunk? This early? The sun has barely started to go down! Honestly, some of the people around here, it's sickening. Here I am breaking my back to earn a living here all day and some of them are quite happy to waste away in a dirty little bar all day…" she launches into a fairly long tirade about the laziness of people and how the world would be a better place if they all just worked harder. I'm just happy that she hasn't asked for further explanation and get distracted by her eyes.

She catches me looking at her and frowns. "What?" she asks innocently, "What are you looking at?' she starts to blush. As if she doesn't know already.

I glance down, embarrassed by how rude I was being, and clear my throat.

She continues washing away my blood in silence. I try not to stare but I'm so tired and she's just so captivating I can't seem to make the effort to look away.

She puts down the water and cloth and holds my face between her hands, inspecting me.

"There. I think you're going to have a few bruises around your eyes but at least you've stopped bleeding and nothing seems to be… broken…" her sentence trails off and we're just gazing into each others eyes for what seems like an eternity.

I slowly lift up my left hand and cup her face with it, my thumb gently grazing her cheekbone. She closes her eyes and she's so close. So close that I can feel her breath against my lips.

She jumps up suddenly, breaking our contact and stands facing away from me.

"So, do you need somewhere to stay tonight?" she asks, in a strangely high pitched voice.

"I don't want to be a burden…"

"It's no problem," her voice sounding more like normal again, "I'm afraid you can't stay in the house, Ingo just wouldn't allow it, but I do have somewhere you could stay where he wouldn't find out. Epona can stay in here, I'll bring her in with the rest of the horses in a little while."

She pulls me up by the hand and leads me towards the door.

"Come on, I'll show you,"

I follow her across the ranch and my head spins when I realise where she's taking me, dozens of memories flooding back at once.


	6. The Way We Were

"Well, I made amends  
In the general sense,  
But the devil's in the details.  
And I know the cost,  
And I want to stop.  
But I can't do it.  
I just can't do it…  
I have no way of knowing the truth with Time dissolves…"

_Devil In The Details – Bright Eyes_

**Chapter 6 – The Way We Were**

"_I've got a place for you to stay fairy boy, follow me!"_

_She grabs my hand and pulls me forwards. We run through the ranch and her hair is flowing behind her and brushing my cheeks._

_She takes me into the tall stone building at the far side of the ranch and closes the door behind her. The room is cold and full of junk and crates, there are two cows eating hay in the corner._ _She starts pushing one of the crates._

"_Come and help me move this out of the way,"_

_I rush over to help her._

_After moving several of the crates around she climbs on top of one and jumps over the other side next to the wall._

"_Come on!"_

_I follow her over and see that there is a small opening in the base of the wall._

"_You can't tell anyone about this fairy boy, it's my secret place," she whispers._

_I nod in reply._

_We crawl through the hole and on the other side of the thick wall is an even smaller room. The ceiling is fairly low and it looks almost as if it is just a hole carved out of solid stone. There is very nothing inside besides hay and a blanket, presumably brought in by Malon. The only light source is the light coming from the other room and a small hole near the top of the room, I can see Hyrule Field when I stand on my toes to peer out of it._

"_This is where I hide when I don't want anyone to find me," she says._

_I smile sadly at her. She's such a strange girl but I already like her._

_The sky through the window is already a dusky shade of pink._

"_I should go, it's almost my bed time, Daddy will be worried about me. You can stay here as long as you want to, I can bring you another blanket if you're too cold,"_

"_I'm fine," I say, thankful to have any form of shelter at all._

"_Okay," she smiles at me; "I'll bring you some food in the morning,"_

_She pauses and looks down at her feet then inches closer to me, leans over and kisses me lightly on the cheek._

"_Goodnight… Link," she blushes and disappears quickly back through the gap in the wall._

_-------_

I stayed in that tiny room at the far side of the ranch many times when I was younger. Malon would always sneak me some food. She seemed so happy to see me, even if I turned up covered in mud, blood and various other stains. She would help clean me up and mend tears in my clothes.

Even after I had 'grown up' I stayed several times. The first time I hadn't told her I was there. I just snuck inside in the middle of the night, I was exhausted and it was pouring with rain and I had no rupees for a room, in short I had no choice.

She was in the first room milking the cows when I emerged the next day. I certainly gave her a fright. She almost knocked me out with her milking stool before she recognised me. I wasn't sure if she was pleased to see me or angry that I hadn't been in touch to begin with.

I explained to her why I hadn't been around for the past seven years. I had to really. She seemed surprised but she also said that it explained a lot. So Malon became one of the few people who actually knew that I was the Hero of Time and not just some weird homeless guy from the forest as the other civilians seemed to assume.

When she knew what I was doing she went out of her way to help me. She taught me to ride Epona properly, let me stay at the ranch whenever possible, gave me as much food as she could afford to, tended my wounds and mended my clothing. It was just like all those years ago.

There was something else in the air then, however, no longer an innocent and helpful child, she was a beautiful woman and she drove me wild.

I could never admit my feelings to her, I was so grateful for all that she did for me that I felt it would be rude to ask for anything more, and so I suffered in silence, ignoring the tension in the air when she touched my arm while gesturing or cleaned lacerations on my back where I couldn't reach myself.

Not long after I had defeated the dragon in the Fire Temple I was staying in the secret room, recovering really, I had so many burns all over my body not even the fairies could heal them entirely. I had been there for two days and was beginning to feel anxious that I should continue on my way to the next Temple but Malon insisted that I wait.

I didn't want to hurt her after all that she had done for me, but I had the weight of the world on my shoulders and wanted it lifted sooner rather than later. After waiting one more day I was sneaking out of the ranch at about 3am, I was sure that Malon would be in bed at that time, but just as I was heading out of the gates pulling Epona quietly behind me I heard the front door of the house open.

---------

_I try to pretend that I didn't hear it, hoping that she would just watch me go, and I keep walking but she runs up behind me and grabs my free arm._

"_Where do you think you're going?" she hisses at me, her face full of concern with a hint of anger._

"_Malon, I'm sorry I can't stay any longer, I have to –"_

"_You can't go in this state, you can barely even lift your sword with that arm. You'll be killed,"_

"_That's a chance I'm willing to take," I try not to look her in the eye, "I don't have a choice,"_

"_Why not? It's just so unfair. Why should you have to bear this burden alone?"_

"_Who else will if I don't? I can't quit now,"_

"_It just seems so unfair," she repeats._

"_Don't you think I know that? I can't waste time worrying about it. Sure it's unfair but I can't think of anything else I would rather be doing. I would just prefer it if I wasn't solely accountable for the fate of the world. That's a lot of responsibility for one person,"_

"_What do you mean you can't think of anything you would rather be doing? Wouldn't you prefer to have a normal job, a normal life? How could you possibly enjoying living your life like a nomad, going from place to place killing hundreds of beings, _even_," she stresses as I was about to protest, "if they are all evil and causing the end of the world blah-blah-blah, barely eating, barely sleeping. Look at yourself! You're wasting away; you already look half-dead…" she trails off._

"_It makes me feel alive," _

_I doubted that she would understand, even if I tried to explain to her, the thrill of the battle, the adrenaline that courses through me when I make a kill - the bigger the better. The first time I can remember feeling this exhilaration was when I killed the King Dodongo – before then I was basically running on pure terror. Just the fact that I was so small and brought down such an enormous beast single-handed made me feel so powerful, as if nothing could touch me. It wasn't a side of me I wanted Malon to see, and it was growing almost daily into something closer to a blood lust._

_I didn't want to have to explain to her that after this I couldn't possibly live a 'normal' life. Nothing about me could ever be normal again. Just saying it out loud would make it undeniable, I was still clinging to the idea that I might be wrong._

_She stares at me, lost for words for what seems like an hour._

"_Fine," she bursts out suddenly, "Fine, do what you have to, just don't expect me to wait around to see if you survive. If you're not even going to wait until you're fit to fight before you leave then I won't be here for you when – if – you get back."_

"_Malon, what –"_

_She cuts me off again._

"_You just don't get it do? You don't understand how hard it is for me to watch you tear yourself apart like this. You just turn up every now and then, most of the time with some serious injury and then leave without even giving yourself time to heal properly, and every time you leave I can't help but wonder if I'll ever see you again. You can't keep sneaking off without even saying goodbye, and I can't keep living like this Link, I just can't, it's too hard." She's still barely whispering her words but the anger and hurt behind her tone makes me feel as if she's screaming at me. Tears are brimming up in her eyes and she turns her face away from me crossing her arms._

"_Okay, I'm sorry," I say, lightly touching her arm, "I won't come back, but I truly appreciate everything that you've done for me, even if it doesn't seem that way all the time," I turn and begin walking away, fighting the lump in my throat, but before I am even a few more steps away I hear an exasperated groan from behind me._

"_You are so stupid!" she actually is shouting this time, "If you never come back then I won't know if you're still alive or not and then what would I do?"_

_I turn around to face her again, tears are streaming down her face and her fists are clenched tight at her side._

"_I don't understand what you want,"_

"_Every time you come here, every time I see you, I feel wonderful, even if you're battered and bruised, because I know that you're alive and I can stop worrying. I can look after you and talk to you and just be with you and everything is just perfect. But then one day, you're not here anymore, and I don't know where you've gone. Have you been taken away and killed in the night? Did you leave of your own accord? When will you be back? _Will_ you be back? Are you dead somewhere in some forgotten temple? What if I never see you again and never find out what happened to you?"_

"_Malon," I struggle to find the right words, "I can't help that, I wish there was something I could-"_

"_I know that there's nothing you can do to stop me from feeling like this, even if I knew when you left I would worry just as much and it's not as if I can ask you to stop what you're doing…"_

"_So, what-"_

"_I wish…" she looks me straight in the eye and bites her lip, "I wish I had never met you." Her voice is barely loud enough for me to hear._

_She finally breaks down and starts crying, holding her face in her hands._

_I let go of Epona and walk over to her. I try to touch her arm and she twists away from me._

"_Please, don't," she mumbles from behind her hands._

_I grab her shoulder firmly and pull her into my arms, holding her head against the crook between my neck and my shoulder. She struggles against me, trying to get free but she just isn't strong enough and gives up while I stroke her hair and hold her close. She sobs against my chest for a full five minutes before she calms down, then she stays silent._

_It starts to rain._

_She raises her tearstained face to mine and looks up into my eyes._

"_Don't go," she whispers._

_I open my mouth to reply but she stops me by raising a hand and cupping my face with it, her thumb grazing my cheekbone._

_I can see all the tears and raindrops clinging to her eyelashes._

"_Please," the last word isn't even audible._

_But I can read her lips._


	7. I Wouldn't Call That Love

"Controlling my feelings for too long,  
Forcing our darkest souls to unfold,  
And pushing us into self destruction,  
Pushing us into self destruction…"

_Showbiz - Muse_

**Chapter 7 – I Wouldn't Call That Love**

So here I am again, in this tiny room where Malon kissed me on the cheek for the first time. Where I hid from so many enemies. Where we finally gave in to our desire for each other. Where I feel safe.

After she showed me how to get in I helped her groom the horses, muck out the stables and take the horses in for the night. It wasn't a particularly pleasant job but I felt that it was the least that I could do. She avoided my eye as much as possible and when we were done mumbled something about bringing me something to eat as soon as she could then disappeared into the house.

I stayed in the barn for a while; just sitting with Epona and trying not to think about what Malon's fiancé might tell her.

After half an hour or so I had decided to move out of the barn, just in case anyone else arrived. So now I'm back again. In this tiny room, trying not to remember.

I used to have to stand up on my toes to see out of the little window-like hole in the wall but now I have to bend down slightly. Looking out I can see Hyrule Field, it's almost completely dark now but I can faintly make out a horse and a rider heading for the ranch from the direction of the market place.

I wonder who this could be.

Half an hour later I hear the door to the building open. I tense up, my hand instinctively drawn to the hilt of my sword.

"Link," I relax slightly when I hear Malon's voice, but she doesn't sound happy, "Are you in there?"

I emerge from the gap in the wall as gracefully as I can, trying to appear innocent and composed. I'm not sure that it works.

"This 'drunk' that you got into a fight with, what did he look like?" she's sitting on a crate with her arms folded, watching me for a reaction.

I tell her that he was tall, slightly heavy built and had fairly short brown hair then I stay silent waiting to hear what else she as to say,

"You didn't happen to know that he was my fiancé when you attacked him, did you?" she raises one of her eyebrows slightly.

I ask what makes her think that I was the one who attacked her fiancé and suggest that the fight that I got into and the fight that he got into could have been with different people and completely unrelated.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it must have been the other short, blonde guy, covered in scars, wearing all green, with a black eye and carrying a sword that's been wandering around lately,"

That's always have people describe me, short and blonde. Obviously there's nothing else worth noticing.

I shrug. Oh well, must have been me.

She asks again if I knew who he was.

"I thought he might be…" she raises her eyebrow again, "Ok, I knew that he was but you should have heard-"

"It seems like a strange coincidence," she interrupts, "That you were both in the same bar and you just happened to over hear him talking about me,"

"But-"

"Who are you? Why are you here? Seriously. I don't know who you think you are, just wandering into my life, messing with my head, trying to kill my fiancé and making moves on me. What exactly gives you the right to do all this?" she jumps down from the crate and stand in front of me, "What are you doing here, Link?"

There's a good question. I'm not really sure what the answer is.

"Well?" she asks, sounding impatient.

"I told you, I just wanted to see if you were still around,"

"That doesn't explain why you attacked Sailas for no good reason. Were you trying to get him out of the picture, is that it? That's why you tried to kill him, and that's why you're messing around with my feelings,"

"Malon, the things he was saying about you-"

"I don't believe you! He wouldn't say anything vulgar about me, he loves me!"

"He was drunk and on his way to fucking rape you!" I don't think I've ever raised my voice to her before now, "I wouldn't call that 'love',"

"Stop lying! He wouldn't do that, he wouldn't even say that," she's getting hysterical now.

"Talking about coming back here and tearing off your dress and showing you 'who's boss', all of his friends egging him on. He said he was on his way to 'loosen you up' so I –"

She cuts me off by slapping me hard across the face.

I stare, too stunned to speak for a moment, she's glaring at me with pure hatred.

"I would have done anything for you," I say, keeping all emotion from my voice, "Anything. I nearly died to save your life. I saved this whole fucking land from destruction and nobody can even fucking remember. But that's ok. I can handle all those strangers not knowing who I am, but you…" I look her up and down and sigh.

"What are you talking about?" she stares at me in disbelief, "You're crazy,"

"Maybe I am, but that doesn't mean it's not true. There would be a huge flaming crater where Hyrule is now if it wasn't for me," I lift my shirt and show her the scars, "How do you think I got all of these?"

She gasps. Her eyes linger on the deepest scar, running from under my ribcage on my left side and around to my stomach where it becomes concealed under my clothes.

"Everybody but me may have forgotten but the scars never fade,"

"There's so many… how? What?" she takes her eyes off my chest and looks into my eyes, trying to see if I'm lying. "You could have got them anywhere," she whispers, "You could have done it to yourself just for attention!"

"I didn't really expect you to believe me. It'll come back to you. You should have a closer look around the Temple next time you're in Castle Town."

"I think you should leave," she's glaring at me with her arms folded again.

"Ok, I'll go, but just remember that I got this one," I point at my left side, "When I was rescuing you,"

She stares after me as I quickly gather everything together and stalk out of the building.

If she thinks I'm just going to leave her to that animal, Sailas, or whatever his name was, she's got another thing coming. I'll have to keep an eye on both of them.

I go into the stables and retrieve Epona, leading her out of the ranch before I mount her and begin to ride aimlessly through the darkness of the field.

I wonder where I can go now.

My head is still reeling from all that Malon said to me.

Anger is rising up in my stomach like bile.

It's been a while since I felt like this.

I really need to kill something.


	8. From The Lady's Point Of View

"It's not meant to be like this,  
It's not what I planned at all,  
I don't want to feel like this.  
No it's not meant to be like this,  
It's just what I don't need.  
What made me feel like this?  
It's definitly all your fault."

_The Walk - Imogen Heap_

**Chapter 8 – From The Lady's Point Of View**

I can tell that I'm awake but I can't seem to force my eyes to open. I roll over onto my back and stretch, curling my toes. My spine makes several loud cracking noises.

"Oww…" My eyes open and I blink a few times. The sky is light pink and I realise that the sun has almost risen. Sighing I sit up and swing my legs off the side of my bed and try not to think about what happened last night.

After having a quick bath and combing the tangles out of my hair I head downstairs and prepare breakfast.

Ingo appears about ten minutes later, grunts a morning greeting, sits at the tables and proceeds to shovel food into his mouth. Thankfully my father comes downstairs not long after Ingo.

I don't know what it is about him, but I just can't seem to feel comfortable when I'm alone with Ingo. He's not the friendliest man in the world and he has a quick temper but he's never raised a hand to me. Well, maybe a little when I was younger. It's almost as if he did something terrible to me and I just can't remember what it is. Or perhaps it was in a past life.

"Morning Malon, honey," my father joins Ingo and I at the table and we discuss what work has to be done today.

I have to deliver the milk, meat and cheese to the vendors in town and a small amount to castle, but before I can prepare the cart for travelling I need to let the horses out into the corral, feed the cows and check the cucco coup for eggs.

Collecting the eggs is my least favourite job. I'm not particularly fond of cuccos, and I don't think they like me much either. I always end getting pecked and scratched half to bits. My hands are covered in scars…

I wonder how _he_ got all those scars…

Probably from other drunken bar fights. Ha.

And to think that I was… dare I say, attracted to him. I don't even know if I was. It's silly. I know I felt something though…

He couldn't of possibly done it to himself, could he? It seems like a rather extreme thing to do. But he must have gotten them somewhere…

Perhaps he was a soldier.

"Oww!" an especially hard peck from a cucco interrupts my train of thought and brings me back to reality. I don't know why I'm even wasting my time thinking about that lying, manipulative, insane… man.

Shaking my head free of such thoughts I take the eggs and place them in the barn while I continue my mornings work.

It's almost seven by the time I'm finished and ready to leave for the town giving my plenty of time to get there before the stalls and stores open for business in an hour.

I take my time through the field, sitting back on the cart, breathing in the fresh morning air and listening to the birds singing.

It's a beautiful day.

----------------

I deliver my packages without any problems. A few people I know in town comment on Sailas's injuries but I convinced them it was just a silly brawl after one too many.

They laugh it off and say variations of 'boys will be boys' and it strikes me just how alike so many people are. I sigh and try not to think of Link when I tell them my excuses.

I can't help but glance up at the Temple.

Take a closer look he said. I wonder what he could have meant.

It wouldn't hurt to look, I decide. Even though I won't find anything…

I tether the horse and cart outside the Temple and go inside to have a quick look around before delivering my last box of goods to the castle.

My footsteps echo through the huge empty room as I enter and walk slowly forward.

This is crazy. I don't even know why I'm here…

There is very little inside the Temple and the high ceilings make it appear even more vast and empty than it actually is. It makes me feel very insignificant.

I walk over to the small stone alter which is the main focus of the whole room. Embedded in the stone are what appear to be three spaces for jewels of some kind. Standing in front of it I run my hands over the smooth surface.

What was he talking about… there's nothing here.

It's not like I believed him anyway.

I wonder if that's the truth or if I'm just trying to convince myself that it's the truth…

Looking up I catch sight of something small and gold on the wall ahead of me.

I walk up the little steps and stand facing the wall, which is carved with a pattern resembling a huge sun, a sharp contrast to the cold greyish blue of the stone.

In the centre of the sun is a little gold plaque. I'm not surprised I never noticed it before now, every time I have been inside the Temple this wall has been covered by one of those elaborate ceremonial tapestries that they hang around the whole room.

I move forward to take a closer look.

At the side of the plaque there is a figure embossed into the gold. A warrior holding up a shining blade in his left hand, wearing a tunic and chain mail and holding a shield with his right hand. On the back of his left hand, just visible, is a tiny Triforce.

Next to this image, carved in bold capital letters are the words:

LINK.

THE HERO OF TIME.

WHO GAVE HIS LIFE TO SAVE

THIS KINGDOM OF HYRULE.

TO WHOM WE OWE OUR

ETERNAL GRATITUDE.

**LEST WE FORGET.**

I gasp quietly and raise my hands to my mouth.

He could have put it there himself to fool me, I reason.

But no, at the bottom right hand corner of the plaque is the Royal Emblem, and carved into the gold, the tiny, neat signature of Princess Zelda.

I slowly lower myself to the ground and sit there on the cold stone floor holding my head in my hands.

My head feels numb and empty and my body feels weak. It's as if I can almost remember… something… like memories are hovering just beyond my reach.

I lift my head and look up at the plaque, 'lest we forget'… but why would I – we, the whole of Hyrule – forget… what have we forgotten? Something terrible must have happened. But it can't have been _so_ terrible if Link saved us single-handedly, could it?

After what feels like an hour I pull myself together and stand up, taking one last long look at the little plaque before leaving the temple and collecting my horse and cart.

As I make my way towards the castle I can't help but think about what this seemingly small piece of information means. If Link was telling the truth and I cannot remember him then what else can't I remember?

It's all too much to take in. There is a time in my life that I cannot remember and anything could have happened to me. Just not knowing is the worst feeling.

The guard at the gate greets me with a friendly smile, which I manage to return, and he tells me that I'm looking lovelier each time he sees me.

My smile fades as soon as my face is turned from him.

When I enter the kitchen through the back door, Grace, the elderly cook, is talking to a tall statuesque woman I don't recognise. She nods at me as I enter and I smile back. After a few more quiet words to Grace she leaves.

"Mornin' Malon, dear. Are you ok?" she looks at me with concerned eyes. I've known her since I was eight and started coming with Dad when he delivered milk to the castle. She's always been kind to me. I think she feels sorry for me because I lost my mother. Or perhaps she's just genuinely warm and compassionate to everyone.

"I'm just tired," I lie, "I didn't sleep very well last night,"

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, honey," she says, looking back down and she begins slicing a large carrot.

I start unpacking the milk, eggs, cheese and meat, putting them all in their various containers.

Chop.

Chop.

Chop.

"Grace?" I ask quietly.

"Hmm..?" she doesn't look up from the carrot.

Chop.

Chop.

Chop.

"Do you think I would be able to talk to Princess Zelda?"

Chop.

She stops and looks down at me.

"And why would you need to talk to Her Majesty?"

"My father… wanted me to make sure that she and her father are satisfied with our services and find out if there is anything else that we could do. I doubt that I would be able to ask the King about such a trivial matter but I thought perhaps the Princess… if not then I understand,"

She looks at me curiously as I stand up and try my best to look nonchalant.

"I can't imagine that it would be a problem," she smiles, "I can't tell you that for certain though, you'll have to talk to Lady Impa,"

"Who-" I begin.

"The woman I was talking to when you got here," she explained, "She'll be in the library. When you leave the kitchen turn to your right and it's the third door on the left,"

"Thanks, Grace," I smile at her and head for the door she indicated.

"No problem, honey,"

Chop.

Chop.

Chop.

I close the door behind me and head towards the library.

The room is enormous. Bookcases line the walls from floor to ceiling and there are chairs and desks scattered around the dark wooden floors.

Impa is standing with her back to me when I enter, immersed in a large book bound in red leather.

"Excuse me, Lady Impa?" I say quietly, unable to mask the fact that I am very intimidated by her.

She turns and faces me, her expression stern but curious.

"Yes? Who are you?" her voice is deep but pleasant and rather soothing, still I can hear a hint of anger in her tone.

"My name is Malon, my father owns Lon Lon Ranch. I came to ask you if it would be possible for me to speak with the Princess,"

She arches her eyebrows questioningly.

"Oh, and what would you wish to speak to her about?"

"It's about a… plaque in the Temple of Time, I have some questions about it…" I thought it best not to lie to this menacing woman.

"Ah," she looks away solemnly, "I had a feeling this may happen some day. Come with me,"

She puts down the book and strides quickly out of the room before I have a chance to ask any more questions.

I follow silently, a few paces behind her, through several corridors until we come to two large glass doors. Opening one, she gestures for me to walk through it.

I walk past her and find myself outside in a small courtyard garden. The Princess is at the far side kneeling down beside a flowerbed, pulling out a weed. Her hair is tied up in a messy bun and she is wearing in a simple grey dress with a green apron on over it. She has thick gardening gloves on her hands and small soft brown shoes on her feet.

Impa coughs behind me and the Princess turns towards the sound. She looks curiously at me and stands.

I bow my head and curtsey.

"Your Majesty," I say quietly.

"Hello," her voice is soft and musical, "What can I do for you?"

Looking up at her face I notice that she has a smudge of dirt on her cheek.

Somehow I imagined that the Princess of Hyrule to be more glamorous…

She must have read my mind because she laughs and apologises for her dishevelled state.

"I'm sure I don't look a thing like how you would imagine me to, but I can't wear gowns and tiara's all day now can I?" she laughs again, "And I do enjoy my gardening. Now, how can I help?"

"I'm Malon, from Lon Lon Ranch," I begin, unsure of where to start.

"Ah, yes, very nice to meet you," she holds out her hand and I shake it.

"I wanted to ask you some questions about a plaque in the Temple of Time and a man called Link…"

She closes her eyes for a moment and smiles sadly.

"Come and sit with me," she says, walking towards a wooden bench at the end of the small garden.

I follow and sit down with my hands crossed on my lap, I'm not really sure what to do with myself.

Zelda sits next to me and takes off her gardening gloves placing them neatly beside her. She sits upright and sighs.

"Am I to assume that Link has returned to Hyrule?" she looks into my eyes, waiting for an answer.

"Well, yes, I suppose so but I don't know where from…"

"That is unimportant," she says matter-of-factly, "What has he told you?"

"He didn't tell me anything at first," I start slowly, trying to remember, "He came to the ranch yesterday, and I remembered him buying one of our horses as a child, it must have been seven or eight years ago now. We went for a walk in the field and he was so quiet. He barely spoke," Zelda nods her head knowingly, "He kissed me on my forehead, and I told him that I'm engaged. He asked me if I loved my fiancé, which seemed to me like an odd thing to ask, especially since he was a stranger to me. Then he left and I went back to work as normal.

"He appeared at the ranch again in the evening with a split lip and covered in bruises saying that he had gotten into a fight with a drunk in town, which didn't strike me as so unusual. But then, later in the evening Sailas – my fiancé – turned up and told me that he had been attacked by a crazy man in town and when he described his attacker I knew straight away that it had to have been Link.

"I questioned Link about it and he admitted to knowing that it was my fiancé that he had attacked but claimed that Sailas had been drunk on his way to rape me and then I slapped him in the face…" I look to Zelda for a reaction but she is staring at her gloves and nodding.

"Then he started talking about how he nearly died to save me and the whole of Hyrule and how he could handle the fact that everyone else had forgotten, but not me… he showed me all of these scars and I called him a liar… then I threw him out and he told me to look in the Temple.

"I only went there to put my mind at rest but then I saw the plaque with your signature and now I don't know what to think,"

I finally stop talking and Zelda looks up at me, my eyes are pleading her to say that it's all an elaborate joke. Haha, we got you good, Malon.

"Well, Link is many things but he's not a liar," she begins tactfully.

I cover my face with my hands and close my eyes.

"What happened? What did we all forget?"

My stomach feels as if it's sinking lower and lower as she describes how Hyrule was taken over by the King of the Gerudo's and how he had planned to obtain the Triforce and thus the power of the Gods and how Link had to battle through ancient Temples and kill countless enemies all alone in order to defeat Ganondorf.

"As for you personally, your farm hand was turned by Ganon's evil and he ruled the ranch as a tyrant until Link snapped him out of it. Although his actions caused Ganon to realise his… feelings for you and had you kidnapped and used as bait to lure Link into a trap," she pauses as I lower my head onto my lap.

I feel sick.

"Link managed to rescue you, but almost at the cost of both of your lives. It was several weeks before he recovered sufficiently to finally defeat Ganon,"

"Why doesn't anyone remember any of this?" I ask, trying to keep the anger and confusion that I am feeling from my voice.

"I sent Link back to his original time, before all of the horrors that had occurred. I wanted to return his childhood to him and he wanted to make sure that you had never experienced any of the horrific things you went through in that time,"

I lift my head and rest my elbows on my knees.

" So Link and I…"

Zelda nods sadly.

"He would have died for you. He cared for you above everything else," she hesitates for a moment, "He loved you,"

At hearing those words it's as if a huge veil in my mind has been lifted. Hundreds of memories come flooding back at once and I understand everything; why I feel so uneasy around Ingo; why I just can't give myself to Sailas; why I feel as though I have known Link for years. Why I can't help but want to kiss him.

Why all of a sudden I can't stop thinking about him.

I hold my head in my hands once more and Zelda puts her arm around my shoulder.

"You are meant for each other," she whispers gently.

And all I can do is cry.

**I didn't originally intend to have any chapters from Malons point of view but I thought that it would work better this way.  
I love the idea of Zelda skanked out in her gardening gear, haha! Makes her seem more like a real person.  
I hope you enjoyed this chapter because it took my bloody ages to write it!  
Let me know anyway :)**

**Ok, so I've gone through and changed a bunch of grammatical errors etc, - I'm sure there's more so if you spot them let me know and I'll fix them :) – also I put lyrics at the start of the chapters because I used to do that and I wanted to do it again just to be more of a geek. Heehee.**

**Next chapter is half written and I'll have it up soon.**


	9. Simultaneous Nightmares

"If morning never comes for either one of us,  
Then this I pray to you wherever…  
I'll do anything for you,  
Kill anyone for you,  
I'll do anything you want me to.  
So leave yourself intact,  
'Cause I won't be coming back.  
In a phrase to cut these lips,  
I loved you."

_Wake Up – Coheed and Cambria_

**Chapter 9 – Simultaneous Nightmares**

_The metallic scent of blood is thick in the air. I can't help but hold my hand over my mouth and nose to stem the smell that's stinging my nostrils. I stand still and silent for a moment, trying to get my bearings. _

_It's cold and damp underground. The grey stone of the walls seems to dance in the orange glow given off by the torches making the dark slime that sticks to the stone look black and in the back of my mind I hope that it's not blood. Every little noise I hear causes me to jump; the weight of the Master Sword in my hand makes me feel better, but only slightly. I continue to wander forwards seeing bones scattered here and there along the path and I wonder who or what they belonged to._

_I feel like I've been walking for days and I wish I could just lay down and sleep right here but I know that I can't, any other time and I would, but not now. I haven't eaten or slept since Malon was taken, it would just have felt like a waste of precious time. Shiek turned up while I was frantically trying to follow what faint trail had been left behind by her abductors. At least he had the good grace not to tell me that I had more important things to be doing, I got the distinct impression that he had been about to ask me what was taking so long and say that I should be continuing with my 'quest'. Easy for him to say._

_This place is a maze. As I turn another corner I wonder if I'll be able to find my way out of here again. It's so quiet that it's making me nervous. At the end of the path I walk into a huge cavernous room, silent other than a steady drip from the ceiling. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the change in light. A single torch burns at the far end of the room. The room is huge and empty, the only doorway is the one in which I am standing - yet another dead-end._

_I'm about to turn around and head back the way I came when I spot a body slumped on the floor near the wall to the left of the lone torch and I just know that it's her. I curse under my breath and stand frozen for a moment before running forwards, biting my lip. _

_I've seen more than my fair share of horrifying sights in the many months (years) since the Great Deku Tree sent me on my little quest, but nothing has ever made me feel quite so sick with pure terror as I feel now._

_I rush to her side and fall to my knees, dropping my sword beside me. I gently lift her head with both hands and turning her face to mine I whisper her name and ask her to wake up, praying to the Goddesses that she's still alive and fighting the tears that are stinging my eyes. I hold her head against my chest and check for her pulse. It's faint, but it's there._

_Shackles bind her wrists and ankles, connected by a heavy chain, which is attached to the filthy stone wall. Her beautiful red hair is matted with dried blood and Goddesses knows what else, there are bruises and lacerations all over her body, blood is covering her perfect porcelain skin and it looks as if most of her delicate little fingers have been broken. It's hard to believe that she has only been missing for just over three days. She's completely naked and I can feel myself shaking with rage at the thought of what she has been through._

_I brush her hair out of her face and kiss her forehead softly. This is all my fault. I should have gotten here sooner. I'm supposed to be the Hero of Time. I shouldn't have let her be taken in the first place. I should be stronger than this._

_Trying to ignore my self-destructive thoughts I gently rest her head against my chest and hold her in a sitting position as I begin to pick at the shackles around her wrists. She reacts to the movement and tries to jerk away from me. I hold her still and whisper that everything will be ok, I'm here now._

_She tries to speak and it sounds as if she's saying my name but it's so quiet it's hard to tell. I take out my canteen and hold it against her lips. She drinks greedily and I worry that I may not have enough water left to last until we're out of here, it's going to take a lot longer to walk back carrying Malon than it would alone. Not that I'm complaining._

_I put my canteen away and continue to pick at the lock, trying to hold back the tears that are welling up in my eyes again as more and more of the injuries covering her body catch my attention, telling myself that big boys don't cry. _

_I'm so weak._

_She has already gone limp again by the time the manacles fall away from her wrists. I lay her down as gently as I can and move down to her feet to free her ankles. She shifts and twitches every few moments as if she's trying to move or speak but can't quite manage it. Once she is unchained completely I rest her head against my shoulder again and stroke her hair softly while I try to decide how best to move her without causing her any more pain._

_I'm just about to attempt picking her up when she moves again. Her lips are trying to forms words but she can barely make a sound. I only manage to make out a few disjointed words of what seems to be her telling me off._

_"…stop ..…suppo-… how can … you di-… …save…us… ..i.. feel i-…."_

_Staying silent for a moment I close my eyes, bite my lip and try to convince myself that I didn't just hear what I thought I heard, but it's no use, I know that it's true. I'm still fighting this lump in my throat but the comprehension that spreads through my consciousness at her words breaks my heart and I don't think I can take any more._

_I gather her up in my arms and bury my face against her neck, sobbing, shaking and trying desperately not to look at the puncture wounds all over her stomach where the little bump had only started to show a few weeks ago._

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

_I know that I'm awake but everything seems blurry and surreal, almost as if I'm dreaming. It's a strange feeling to be so alert to my surroundings and yet so helpless. I'm finding it difficult to make my body obey my brain. It's freezing in here and I'm very aware of the fact that I'm naked._

_I know that even if I could make myself stand up I couldn't go anywhere because my wrists and ankles are bound with heavy chains that are cutting off the circulation to my hands and feet._

_I know that I'm covered in blood, my own blood. The pain pulsing through my hands is telling me that my fingers are broken. I'm pretty sure a few of my ribs are broken too. The skin on my back has practically been flayed off. At least that's what it feels like to me._

_I know that my baby is dead._

_Even if I couldn't remember being pinned down and screaming myself hoarse while those things stabbed my stomach with that needle again and again and again… even if I had been unconscious at the time I would still know. I can feel it deep down in the pit of my stomach the way that I knew I was pregnant in the first place. I doubt I could ever find the words to describe either feeling but I know which I preferred. Now I just feel hollow. I would cry but I'm not sure that I can._

_I don't even know how long it's been since they did this to me, or how long I've been here for that matter. It can't have been that long considering that I haven't bled to death yet… won't be long now though, I imagine._

_All of a sudden I hear a sigh, which scares me because the only sound for what seems like an eternity has been that steady drip drip drip and I was sure that I was alone. I didn't hear any footsteps so someone must have been here with me all along. I listen as hard as I can, the drip driving me crazy, but then I hear him._

_"Shit."_

_The word is so quiet I can only just make it out but I recognise the voice instantly as being Link's, at least I know who sighed now. I wonder vaguely what took him so long._

_After another moment of silence he crashes to the ground beside me and lifts up my head to check my pulse. His hands are shaking. Once he has confirmed that I'm still alive he brushes my hair aside and kisses my forehead so softly that I think he must be afraid of touching me. I'm trying with all my might to scream at him for taking so long, for letting those creatures take me in the first place, he's supposed to be the Hero of fucking Time… but I just can't move at all._

_My head is resting against his chest and I can hear his heart beating hard and fast. It's a comforting sound; I can feel some of my anger ebbing away as I listen to it._

_My body twitches suddenly of its own accord, maybe it's a delayed reaction to my earlier attempts to move... Whatever it was Link seems to interpret it as me trying to get away from him because he's holding me tight and whispering that everything's ok, that he's here now and he's going to save me. _

_I want to tell him that he's too late, ask why he didn't get here sooner, was he too busy saving the world to come after me? All I manage to say is his name; at least I think I do. I must have made some kind of sound because he's holding a canteen against my lips and encouraging me to drink. The water feels wonderful in my mouth. It's warm and tastes a bit strange because of the container but it feels like days since I last drank anything and I'm grateful for any liquid at all._

_A few moments after Link has taken back the water my fingers begin to tingle uncomfortably and I realise he must have taken off the shackles because I can feel the blood rushing back. My fingers throb more than ever._

_He lays me down on the ground again and I can feel him picking at the shackles binding my ankles. I keep trying to sit up or say something but I just can't. It's so unsettling being out of control of my body. My feet start to tingle like my fingers did and he lifts up my head again, resting me against his chest and stroking my hair._

_I start to feel faint, like I'm slipping out of consciousness completely so I build up all the energy I can and try to speak. His weight shifts but he stays perfectly still when he hears my voice._

_"How could you let those things take me? Why didn't you stop them?" I can't really hear myself and I wonder if he can make any of this out, "Why didn't you save us, Link? They've killed my baby, I know, I can feel it. They've probably killed me too, I feel like I'm dying. You should have stopped them. You're supposed to be able to protect me. How can you save the world if you can't even save me?" I try to say more but I'm not even sure how much I actually managed to articulate before my body goes limp and I can tell that I've lost control again._

_Everything seems to pause for a moment. Link is still and silent and I can almost picture the look of horror dawning on his face. I hear him inhale deeply and he pulls me in closer into his arms, burying his face against my neck. His shoulders start to shake and I suddenly feel terrible for being so hard on him. I know that he must have done everything that he possibly could to get here. I never thought I'd hear him cry, the sound just breaks my heart._

_It's not easy to feel angry towards a man who is supposed to be this relentless, almighty warrior when you're lying naked in his arms on a cold stone floor, beaten, blood-soaked and paralysed while he's holding you soft and close, sobbing like a child into your filthy, matted hair._

_--------------------------------------------------------------------_

_I'm not sure if I've been clinging to Malon like this for hours or only minutes but I'm brought to my senses by the clanking of armour echoing through the corridors of this dank labyrinth. I sit up straight and strain my ears to make sure I'm not hearing things, but there's no mistaking the sound. It suddenly hits home that it's not likely to be a coincidence that I found Malon in a room with only one way in or out. If I don't move soon we'll both be trapped._

_I'm so stupid._

_I really don't want to have to fight my way out, especially since I have Malon to worry about rather than just myself. If I take her with me and encounter something in the passage she would be in more danger than she would be if we stayed here. I could just wait for whatever it is to arrive and leave her at the far side of the room out of harms way while I fend it off at the doorway. _

_I lay Malon down as gently as I can and stand to face the door. The clanking is getting louder and now I can hear footsteps as well. I pick up my sword and walk forwards, glancing back at Malon who is still unconscious. I'd better not fuck up this time._

_--------------------------------------------------------------------_

_I feel Link's whole body stiffen suddenly. He seems to hold his breath and then, without saying a word he lays me back down on the ground and stands up. I hear a faint metallic sound - which I assume is him picking up his sword - and then all is silent again._

_Apart from that bloody drip._

_I try to open my eyes to see what's going on but I just can't. I think he has walked away from me but I can't be sure, I just don't feel as if he's beside me anymore. It always amazes me how he can walk so quietly, I've never heard a footstep from him except when he's running, and even then it's only sometimes. It's sort of creepy really…_

_My train of thought is interrupted as I realise what it was that made him move. I can hear someone - or more likely somet_hing_ - approaching us. Maybe even just me, I can't tell if Link is still in the room or not. The sound is getting louder and louder and I'm afraid. Link wouldn't leave me here alone, would he?_

_My question is soon answered. Just as the sounds of approaching footsteps begin to echo in such a way that I'm certain that if my eyes were open I would see whatever they belong to, I hear a strange hissing noise, which, I realise almost instantly, is the fuse of a bomb being lit._

_The ground shakes and the explosion is deafening. I inhale some dust as I try in vain to move again. I feel horribly vulnerable right now, unable to move or even really know what's happening. Having to listen to some unseen beasts roar and snarl over the clashing of blades and occasional screams while Link seems to roar and snarl right back at them. _

_There is an inhuman shriek and everything goes quiet again. I feel something touch my hands and I want to scream but I'm still paralysed._

_"I won't let them touch you again," Link kisses my forehead once more and presses something small and solid into my palm. He holds my hands clasped together and I feel a calming warmth encase my entire body. He lets my hands go and I am alone again, left to listen as more beings approach, armour clanking and feet pounding against the ground. _

_It sounds to me as if there are dozens of them and I don't think that I really want to be able open my eyes any more._

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_I'm beginning to wonder how many of these things there are. They just keep coming. Bodies are piling up and I'm starting to feel weak, keeping Nayru's love around Malon is really draining my strength. A particularly ugly stalfos falls apart and turns to dust as my sword breaks through its neck._

_There is only one more left in the room right now but I can hear more iron knuckles marching through the passageway. They're my main problem right now. Alone they're quite easy to kill because they're so slow but in groups it's easy for them to overwhelm me. I've only been hit by one of their swords once before and I don't intend on letting it happen again._

_I dash around the back of the one remaining stalfos and dive through the air slashing at it with my sword. He doesn't react fast enough to retaliate before he meets the same fate as his companion. _

_Before I have time to do anything else at least a dozen of those irritating little moblins swarm into the room followed by four huge stalfos and six iron knuckles. I kill a few of the moblins with one swipe of my sword and the rest scatter, squealing as they run. The stalfos surround me and the iron knuckles stand to attention in the doorway as if daring me to try to get past them. _

_I roll under legs of the closest stalfos to me and slash at it's back before it has even thought to turn around. The others quickly try to trap me again but I'm much faster than they are, they have no chance. I grin cockily at them as they miss me again and again and again. _

_I've only killed one of them when a sharp stabbing pain distracts me in my head. I whip around to see two little moblins hitting the shield surrounding Malon's body, trying to break through it. I dodge the stalfos and run towards them. They try to run away as I get close and as soon as they have stopped attacking the shield the pain in my head vanishes. They're trying to get behind the stalfos to hide from me but I cut them down before they're even close._

_There is a noise behind me and I see one of the armourless iron knuckles that I thought I had already killed stand up and look at me. It's considerably bigger than I am and its skin is dark red and dead looking. It's holding one of those huge swords and glaring at me. I stare into its eyes for a moment and I know it's about to charge at me so I raise my sword above my head and start to run towards it._

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_My eyes are starting to open, I can see a tiny sliver of blue light and I wonder if I'm dying. Opening them further I realise that the blue light surrounds me and seems to be making a gentle humming sound. I squint and try to focus past the light and I can see the rest of the room, or at least the area towards which my head is tilted. There are bodies everywhere. I would be worried but I can still hear Link calling out as he fights. He's not actually speaking but I can hear in his voice that he is exhausted and I wonder how much longer he can last. If only I could do something. Anything._

_He sprints into my field of vision holding his sword high above his head and screams as he brings it crashing down on the head of a horrifying creature that looks as if all of its skin has been burned off its body. The sword cuts straight through its skull and blood spurts all over Link's face as he drives his sword down further into its neck. I feel sick._

_Three huge skeletons wielding swords are creeping up behind him and I want to shout out to warn him but I still can't move anything but my eyes. He seems to hear them anyway and spins around, his sword still dripping with blood, his eyes glowing with some kind of morbid excitement. They're shuffling towards him slowly and warily. He's crouched down, holding his sword perfectly horizontal behind him, grinning like a mad man. Suddenly his sword bursts into flames and all three skeletons flinch nervously. He's bouncing on the balls of his feet and the second the flames turn blue he spins towards the approaching beasts. The tip of his sword catches each of them in turn and they crumble instantly. All of this takes less than a minute. _

_I never thought that I would be afraid of Link but the look in his eyes right now is terrifying._

_I see movement further away from me and I can hear armour clanking. The sound makes my skin crawl. Everything is going blurry again and I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open any longer. Between slow blinks I see Link slashing at… something… it looks like there are a few of them but maybe I'm seeing double. He's diving and rolling from side to side, narrowly avoiding enormous swords. I can still hear as clearly as ever and I think that several pieces of armour have crashed to the ground. I know this is nothing to worry about because Link doesn't wear armour. Although _that_ may be something to worry about._

_A few blinks later and I can only squint to see what's happening. It looks like there are two of those huge figures left standing and Link is trying to draw them apart so he can pick them off separately. My eyes close completely but I can still see the glow of the protective spell surrounding me, which is comforting. My eyelids seem to be glowing purple._

_Because I have lost my sight again my other senses are demanding more of my attention. Unfortunately this means that I have less of a distraction from the pain that is racking my body, particularly my stomach. I feel a sharp pang of grief as I realise that my little bump won't be getting any bigger._

_I hear a loud clang that I guess must have been a body plate dropping off of one of those ugly creatures. I can hear a lot of scuffling and Link making grunting noises as swords clash over and over. He sounds so tired. I feel so utterly useless right now. I'm starting to feel hopeless too… there's no way either of us is getting out of here alive._

_Link shouts out one of those strange battle cries of his and I picture him in my head leaping into the air and bringing his sword down into the neck of his opponent. The squelching sound that follows leads me to believe that my visualisation wasn't far from reality._

_The thud of the body falling to the ground makes the whole room shake and I'm beginning to think that maybe Link can pull this off, he's going to save me like he promised and I can go home. Before I know it Link screams again, but this time it's different. This time it's so loud and he sounds like he's in complete agony. It seems to last for an eternity and it's so hard to listen to. I want it to stop. The scream trails off into a defeated little whimper and there is a quite thump, the light glowing through my eyelids flickers and disappears. I can't make a sound and all I can hear now is the heavy thud of approaching footsteps and a woman screaming in the distance._

I sit bolt upright in bed, grasping the sheets tightly in my fists, breathing heavily, my eyes wide as I scan the dark room. It takes me a few moments to realise that I'm at home, safe and alone and that I was the one who was screaming.

I lean forwards holding my head in my hands and try to forget it all. I wish I couldn't remember any of this. It's hard to believe how simple my life was only days ago. Now I don't know what to do with myself. I can't get Link out of my head but it seems so crazy, I just met him. Sort of… I don't even know anymore.

I cup the little curve of my stomach with my right hand and squeeze my eyes shut. Tears roll down my cheeks and I start to sob.

I wish I couldn't remember.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_I'm finding it hard to breathe or keep my eyes open or do much of anything really. I can hear the iron knuckle walking away from me and I know that it's heading straight for Malon. I lift my head and without really thinking it through I throw my sword as hard as I can in its direction. The hilt hits him on the back of the head and he grunts, turns to face me and starts to laugh. I'm sure I don't exactly look threatening right now, lying in a growing pool of my own blood and only barely able to move, but he can't feel the Triforce in my left hand glowing and pulsing, stemming the flow of blood. If I can kill this last beast and rest for a while I think I can get us both out of here. I just need Time._

_He's walking back towards me still wielding that huge sword, grinning, confident in his victory. I pull out my bow as quickly as I can. Normally in this kind of situation I would use a light arrow just to be safe but I need to save as much energy as I can to get out of here. I settle for a regular arrow and aim as carefully as I can. He's almost upon me and I'm shaking. Just before he's within striking distance I let go. The arrow flies straight through his beady little eye and into his brain. _

_I flop back down against the ground and breathe as deeply as I can manage. He stumbles around for a moment before crashing to the floor and I close my eyes. The pain in my side is unbearable, every breath I take causes the wound to open further, it feels like my intestines are actually hanging out of my skin and I'm getting lightheaded, but I know I'll be okay, I just need to rest and let the healing warmth of the Triforce do its work then I can take Malon home._

_I cry out in frustration as the rhythmic clanking of armour reaches my ears. This is ridiculous. There is no way I can fight any more. Not now. I drag myself towards Malon who is so blissfully unaware of these happenings, I'm almost jealous. Nayru's love no longer surrounds her and I reach out and touch her face. Her skin is freezing cold._

_I only have one option left now. I don't even know if I can take her with me but I have to try. If I don't do something right now we're both as good as dead. I pull myself as close to her body as I can and wrap my arm around her neck as I press the ocarina against my lips. Several figures enter the room and start to run towards us but it's too late. The last note of the Prelude of Time rings out through the air and everything fades to white._

When I open my eyes it takes me a moment to realise that I was dreaming again. Or remembering… either way I'm back in reality now. I hold my head in my hands and take a few deep breaths. I have to keep reminding myself that it wasn't real, it didn't happen - not this Time anyway – I'm the only one who can remember and for that I'm grateful. The truth would kill Malon. At least this way I'm the only one who can recall all of the pain caused by my biggest failure, or the way she just lay there for weeks in that little house in Kakariko, semi-conscious and broken hearted.

The last thing I said to her before I left for my final battle with Ganon was 'I love you', all she said was 'I know'. I wonder if she would have ever forgiven me. I still haven't managed to forgive myself.

It's not until I stand and survey my surroundings that I realise I'm in the Water Temple. I can't remember how I got here but I'm not entirely surprised, it always seems to come back to this place. It took me weeks to find my way through and just the thought of so many of the things that I encountered here still sends a shiver down my spine.

Looking down at myself I see that I'm covered in thick, dark blood. I screw up my nose and unbuckling my holsters I lay down what few weapons I have before jumping down from the platform into the shallow water below. I take off my clothes and soak them in the water I squeeze out as much of the blood as I can. After I throw them back up beside my weapons to dry I lie down and let the water lap over my body, washing the blood away.

When I start to feel cleaner I sit up and stare at the door above me. I can picture the room behind it as if I was actually there and I know that he's in there, waiting. I close my eyes and my dream starts to replay in my mind again, all the images of Malons beaten body making my head hurt.

I'm so glad she can't remember.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**-sniff- oh it's all so sad.  
Sorry about the extremely long wait, this took me forever!  
I'm sure it's just crawling with mistakes too... I'd love some feedback though :)  
I know there's a lot of repetition but that's intentional.  
Let me know what you all think.  
****  
Take it easy :)**


	10. HalfTruths and Flashbacks

**Chapter 10 - Half-Truths and Flashbacks**

Everything in here smells damp. Looking down at my hands I see that I still have blood under my nails. My clothes aren't completely dry yet and they feel itchy and uncomfortable against my skin. I gaze around at the seemingly endless white mist that surrounds me. It's like standing in nothingness.

The silvery water that covers the ground laps over my toes. Moments before it was a liquid mirror but now my reflection is missing. I know exactly what I'll see when I look back towards the little island I passed over but I'm not sure that I want to turn around. He'll be standing there in some cocky pose, looking like me only in shades of grey, all except for his blood red eyes.

I eventually work up the nerve to turn and sure enough, there he is, leaning against the dead tree, watching me. It's like looking at some strange distorted version of my past. He looks exactly like me – well how I used to look anyway - apart from the fact that his hair is jet black and his skin is a cold, dead shade of grey. Even his clothing reminds me of times gone by: my old tunic; black, my kokiri boots; black, that hat; black, the Master Sword… black.

"Hello stranger," he grins and his teeth glow white against his grey skin, "Long time, no see,"

I know that he's waiting for me to say something but I can't think of anything. I just woke up here; I don't even know why I came in the first place.

"I can tell you that," he lets out a snort of laughter as I stare at him, "Don't look so surprised. I know what you're thinking even if you don't. You came here because you need a fight that would be a challenge for you. It's been a long time since you actually had to _try _to win, hasn't it? I'm not sure that you're up to it today. You don't look so good," he looks me up and down and lets his eyes rest on mine, "Didn't you sleep well? Bad dreams?" He flashes me another grin, "I don't know why you let it get to you so much, you didn't even want it anyway…"

"That's not true," I say quietly, narrowing my eyes and taking a step closer to him.

"Yes it is," he leans in close to my ear and whispers, "part of you was even _glad_ that it died,"

"That's not true!" this time I scream the words right in his face, glaring at him with utter hatred.

"You can deny it all you like but I know it's the truth. Maybe it was an unconscious feeling but it was there. You were terrified when she told you that she was pregnant. How were you supposed to be a father when you never had one? It's not like you had a job or anything resembling a normal life…"

He pauses for a moment, enjoying the effect that he knows his words are having. He's right, it's true, I was completely petrified when Malon told me that she was pregnant. But that doesn't mean I wanted it to die. I didn't. She was scared too, but we were excited. It's not like we were too young or anything, plenty of people our age already had children. We were just unprepared…

I never wanted rid of our baby. I just wasn't sure what would happen when it arrived. I don't know how to be a father. I would have learned though. Everyday I wish I had been there in time to save it. I guess it doesn't really matter now anyway… I wasn't glad that our baby was killed, I wasn't.

"Made everything that little bit simpler though, didn't it?" I look into his gleaming red eyes and I can see how much pleasure he's taking in twisting my thoughts. He's trying to convince me that I actually did feel this way. I try my best to ignore him but it's difficult to hide your thoughts and feelings from someone who always knows exactly what you're thinking.

"Sorry, is that a touchy subject? Let's talk about something else-"

"What's the point in talking? You obviously know everything about me, I can't tell you anything new,"

"It's true, I do," he looks so proud of himself, "if you knew as much about yourself as I do you might sleep a little easier, rather than lying awake all night second-guessing yourself. Then again, maybe you wouldn't sleep at all, who knows?"

I turn and start to walk away from him, determined not to let him get to me. Why did I have to come here again? I keep walking resolutely through the mist to where I know the exit will be, convinced that nothing he could shout after me will make me turn around again now.

"So, when are you going to kill him?"

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I'm up earlier than usual this morning, and when you work on a ranch that's really early. I think it's around half past four, but I can't be sure. I'm not exactly with it today. I couldn't get back to sleep last night, I just lay with my eyes open, staring at the ceiling until the smallest hint of light touched the sky outside and I took it as my signal to get up.

I had a long bath, just lying in the water for almost an hour, like I was trying to soak these memories out of my body. I held my hands up and watched the water trickling down my arm and my thoughts started to drift back to Link, remembering all the times he showed up, drenched to the bone, looking for shelter, and how I'd tried so hard not to look when he had to take off his clothes to dry them out.

After that I decided I couldn't stay in the water any longer and got up and put my clothes on. I refuse to start my chores this early so now I'm sitting in the middle of the corral watching the last star fade, as the sky turns green. My eyes are heavy but I can't bear the thought of falling asleep in case I have any more distressing dreams. I can remember so many things now. Everything makes so much more sense. I sigh and lay back, propping myself up on my elbows.

I can remember the first time I met him in Castle Town, all of the days we would spend playing in the field, teaching him about horses. I can remember the first time I met him after he had been sealed away, I almost knocked him out with a milking stool… I remember all the wounds I tended and how hard he tried not to make a fuss when the iodine stung him. All of the burns he got from the Fire Temple, the first time we kissed, when I had finished shouting at him for vanishing into the night so often. I can remember the first time we… you know… when he had just returned from one of the temples - I don't even know which one, he wouldn't talk about it – in that tiny little cave-room behind the storage building. I lay my head down on the grass and breathe the fresh morning air in deeply, instantly regretting it because it's suddenly so much more difficult to keep my eyes open.

_He's sitting with his back to me, sort of half wrapped in a blanket, hugging his knees with his head lowered. I can still see most of his bare back and the low light from the candle is highlighting every little sinew of muscle. The bones of his spine are showing under his skin at the base of his neck and in the middle of his back but at the small of his back his spine is an indentation surrounded by muscle. His shoulder blades are protruding and I can see the end of his collarbone sticking out even from this angle. I find myself wondering how he can be simultaneously so muscular and so bony._

_Even in this light I can see all the scars on his back, not just the fresh wounds that I am tending. He winces in pain every time the cloth touches broken skin, normally I would tease him to make light of the situation but he seems lost in his own world right now. He's barely spoken since he arrived. I doubt he would have made it if Epona hadn't brought him, he was barely conscious when she trotted into the ranch, neighing loudly until I came running. I didn't even get near in time to catch him as he slumped over and fell from her back onto the hard trodden ground._

_I finish cleaning his wounds and put the cloth and the water aside and sit further back, leaning against the wall, watching him as he gazes upwards through the tiny hole in the wall._

_"How are you feeling?" I ask after a while, I'm not used to this much silence. I'm usually singing or endlessly prattling on about nothing. Normally even Link isn't this quiet, I'm beginning to think that this isn't a normal night. He doesn't answer, only lowers his head again so I stand to leave. I place a hand gently on his shoulder. "Ok, I'll come and check on you in the morning. Goodnight," _

_Before I have time to take my hand away his hand closes over mine and he stands up slowly and tentatively. The blanket that was draped loosely around his hips slips to the ground and he's standing completely naked before me. He holds both of my hands in his and looks straight into my eyes for what seems like forever. I just barely manage to hold my gaze and not let my eyes stray._

_He pulls me in close to him and puts one hand on my waist and the other on the back of my head pulling my face to his until our foreheads are touching. He's still staring into my eyes and he looks almost as if he's about to cry. My hands are hanging awkwardly at my sides. I just don't know what to do with myself. I want him more than anything else in the world but I know that we shouldn't be doing this, not unless we were married. Somehow I can't imagine Link ever being married to anyone, not even me. He kisses me softly and I can't help but lift my hands and place them gently on his hips, aware that if I put them on his back I might hurt him._

_All the time we're kissing I'm having an internal argument with myself; this is wrong - but it feels so right - we can't, we're not married, it's wrong – but I want to, so badly – that doesn't matter, you can't, you just can't, - but he might die any time and I couldn't imagine being with anyone else, I love him so much, - that's not the point and you know it – who would I be trying to please by not doing it though? Dad? He just wants me to be happy, he likes Link – he wouldn't like him if he knew what effect he was having on his sweet little girl – I'm not a little girl, I'm a woman. I can make my own decisions…_

_Link pulls away, brushes my hair from my face and smiles at me. "Goodnight," he says quietly and I find myself oddly infuriated. Fucking tease…_

_I frown slightly and turn to leave, but he pulls my wrist back gently and when I'm facing him again I'm greeted with a cheeky grin that lights up his whole face. I can't help but smile back. I wish he would smile like that more often, that wonderful childlike grin that almost makes me forget everything that's wrong with this world._

_He stops grinning, pulls me close again and kisses me, gently at first, but getting gradually more intense as he runs a calloused finger down the back of my neck and moves his hand to the base of my back, pulling my body closer still. His kisses move along my jaw, underneath my ear and down onto my neck, spreading chills down my spine and I swear my knees are about to buckle…_

My eyes flutter open and I'm almost blinded by the harsh sunlight. I groan and squeeze them shut again. I'm so sorely tempted just to roll over and go back to sleep and back to my dream… I don't care that I'm in the middle of the corral. It's still early… right? I open my eyes again and realise that there's a horse standing right beside me, watching me.

"Epona?" I sit up suddenly. My spine cracks in several places. Oww…

She snorts happily and stamps her feet slightly. I drag myself up and stand beside her, stroking her neck. I wonder what she's doing here… is Link with her? No. He can't be far away, he would never leave her, but he won't be back to see me again...

Unless he has to come here to get her back…

My back is damp from lying on the grass for so long, so I decide to head inside for a change of clothes, but first - without spending too much time mulling it over and talking myself out of it - I lead Epona into the barn and leave her tied up in one of the stalls. I feel so devious, but I've got to do something to see him again… right?

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**Apologies for the stupidly long wait, shortness of the chapter (better than nothing, right?) and general cheese…**

**Ahem.**

**R&R? Anyone?**

**Tell me where you want me to be going with this :D**

**Not promising I'll make it that way, but I am interested to know.**

**Sorry again for being crap! Life's been a bit mad lately...  
**

**Take it easy :)  
**


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